Whooping cough case at Auburn High School

A student at Auburn High School has tested positive for pertussis, also known as whooping cough.

School Superintendent John E. Plume said the school district learned of the case this morning and will send letters home to the families of high school students to alert them about the case.

Pertussis is a highly contagious disease involving the respiratory tract and is primarily spread by direct contact with discharge from the nose or throat of infected individuals, Plume said. Pertussis begins as a mild upper respiratory infection, and its symptoms resemble those of a common cold, including sneezing, runny nose, low grade fever and mild cough.

Within two weeks the cough can become severe, characterized by episodes of numerous rapid coughs followed by a high pitched cough, he said. The episodes may continue for one to two months and are more frequent at night.

Plume said that anyone showing symptoms of pertussis should contact their family doctor. For more information, call the County Health Department at 253-1560.